When the Phone Rings episode 2 recap: Baek Sa-eon tries to find the identity of the caller

MBC's latest drama When the Phone Rings premiered on November 24, bringing together Yoo Yeon-seok, Chae Soo-bin, Heo Nam-joon, and Jang Gyu-ri in a compelling romance thriller. The story delves into the lives of a couple in their third year of a politically motivated marriage, a relationship overshadowed by the threat of a chilling phone call.

Directed by Park Sang-woo, renowned for his visually stunning work on The Forbidden Marriage, When the Phone Rings also features co-director Wi Deuk-gyu and writer Kim Ji-woon (Melancholia and Doctor John). Adapted from a popular Kakao Page novel, When the Phone Rings is a collaborative production by Bon Factory and Baram Pictures.

In episode 2, Sa-eon receives more menacing calls from Hee-joo. However, unlike the harmless calls, he faces some real threats in his office.

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When the Phone Rings episode 2 recap: Why did Hee-joo agree to marry Sa-eon?

In the second episode of When the Phone Rings, after the phone call, Baek Sa-eon finds Hee-joo and he checks to see if she has any injuries. He also asks her if she had a car accident the day before. He then lets her go and sends the recording to his team for analysis.

Back at home, Sa-eon asks for Hee-joo's car to check for dents and the dash cam. Hee-joo rushes to stop since it would reveal that Hee-joo could now speak. Fortunately for her, the dash cam had no recording.

Sa-eon meets his mother while Hee-joo goes to the court to interpret. Sa-eon appoints security for Hee-joo. However, they lose her after she goes to the washroom. After looking for her everywhere, they find her sitting outside with a man. Sa-eon, who has been updated on the situation also receives a picture of the man. He seems to be Hee-joo's old friend, Sang-won.

In this episode of When the Phone Rings, Hee-joo's mother visits her with some lingerie and asks her to be a good wife. Hee-joo had agreed to get married to Sa-eon upon the condition that her father be put in a better nursing home.

That night, Hee-joo calls him again, trying to threaten him by sending a picture of her thighs to his phone through the stolen phone.

When Sa-eon goes home, he asks Hee-joo to apply for the role of an interpreter in the presidential office. In a flashback, Hee-joo is shown putting effort into being a good wife by cooking Sa-eon food and getting him to dance with her. However, Sa-eon asks her to not fall for him and to stay out of his way.

The next morning, Sa-eon cooks Hee-joo breakfast and asks her about the man he met outside the court. She typed it on her phone, telling him that the man was a college friend. He then leaves for work. Since Sang-won will now be working at the news station where Hee-joo interprets, he bumps into Yu-ri on his way, saving her from a small accident.

Sa-eon receives a tape from his team showing the perpetrator entering Hee-joo's car easily, sparking doubt. Meanwhile, Hee-joo goes to meet her father, who seems to have developed some form of mental disability. Here it is revealed that Hee-joo's father used to sing at clubs to support their family. After his separation from his wife, he decided to let her take custody of Hee-joo so she could support her dreams.

Hee-joo breaks down in front of him, telling him that she feels like she has lost her identity. Sa-eon seeks advice from Hyuk-jin about the calls without revealing his connection to them. Hyeok-jin suspects an affair.

Hee-joo tries to call Sa-eon from the stolen phone, pretending to be the perpetrator but after hanging up on her multiple times, Sa-eon's phone seems to be switched off. He does not come home that night. In the morning, Hee-joo finds out through the morning news that Sa-eon's office has been bombed and Hee-joo's call is being used as evidence.

In this episode of When the Phone Rings, Sa-eon comes back home looking tired. His white shirt has blood stains. He tries to lift up Hee-joo's skirt to check if her thigh is the one in the photo but she resists. He tells her that he needs to know who she really is.

In a flashback, Sa-eon is shown texting In-a, who is trying to convince him to call off the marriage. Sa-eon asks her if Hee-joo is being married to the son of the Yeonghwa Construction family, who is infamous for his deeds. After getting his confirmation, Sa-eon plans to get married to Hee-joo and let In-a go. Here, the episode 2 of When the Phone Rings ends.

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The next episode is scheduled to be released on November 29 and will be available on Netflix in selected regions.